Singer-songwriters Aly and AJ are using their platform to address gun violence, a cause that became deeply personal after they survived a mass shooting in 2022.
The sisters sheltered in place on their tour bus in Sacramento while a gunman killed six people and left at least a dozen others wounded, authorities said. It was considered the deadliest shooting in the city’s history.
The duo recently released their new song, “Sirens,” to process and respond to the tragedy. Now, they’re pushing for gun control measures they believe are crucial as Election Day nears.
Aly said that “Sirens” has become a part of their healing process, calling the song “cathartic.” The duo revisited the site of the shooting in Sacramento to film the music video.
“For Aly and I, our way to heal is music. It’s always been that way,” AJ explained. “This song was our way to process what happened that night.”
The song’s video was part of their journey to make sense of the ordeal. The night of the shooting, AJ said most of the band and crew were on the bus when the gunfire began at around 2 a.m. local time on the first night of the tour.
“It was terrifying,” AJ said. “I’ll never forget hearing gunfire and knowing immediately we have to get down.”
The experience left a mark on the sisters, who grew up around guns and immediately knew the sound of gunfire.
“We just got down on the ground, and AJ started praying, and we just kind of held each other,” Aly said.
That experience found its way in lines of “Sirens,” where they sing about a mother lying on the sidewalk with her son, a line that connects even more now for Aly, who became a mother after writing the song.
The sisters’ advocacy has taken them from music to marching for change.
Recently, they attended a march in Washington, D.C., alongside a nonprofit advocacy group called March Fourth, whose mission is to federally ban assault weapons.
“Being able to be on the ground and see the people behind the scenes, the people who are working in the office of gun violence prevention, was incredibly inspiring for us,” Aly said.
Their message on gun control, though firm, is also a call for bipartisan cooperation. They said they believe that most people, regardless of party affiliation, support gun laws when the conversation is safe from political divides.
“I think this is something we can all get on board with, regardless of party,” Aly said. “It’s more important than ever to be outspoken about what you truly believe in because so much is at stake.”
“Sirens” is now available on streaming platforms.
